Priests defy social convention in many ways. They abstain from things that society readily accepts, such as alcohol and sex. Not only this, they do it because of religious conviction, something that happens with many other denominations of faith such as the Baptists and the Protestants, but with Catholicism, there's also a uniform, which makes it a much more outward display of choice. I abstain from alcohol, but I wear "normal" clothes just like anyone else. But priests, they are a physical manifestation of things that many people hold to be normal.

Whoever made that eye gouging list has apparently not seen the 3rd season of Deadwood...though that might not have been thumb as other finger(can't really remember) and not so much gouged as actually popped out and dangling....

aeval; Nope, Roman Catholic and Orthodox priests in this country are known to drink as are ministers from most PRotestant chruches, particularly the liturgical and Calvinist types. Many reviivalistic churches don't allow it, however, but that's true the world over.